Kirk Cousins And The Pistol Offense: Both Are Here To Stay

WASHINGTON (WUSA) -- The other day I joined ESPN 105.1 in Chattanooga and had some bold statements to say about two Redskins situations that are being discussed heavily amongst the fan base: should the team trade Kirk Cousins and will the pistol offense survive?

This is loosely transcribed with a few thoughts added in.

On the Kirk Cousins situation:

If I were the Redskins, I would not tradeKirk Cousinsfor a top-10 pick in this years NFL draft. I swear. If he were to have come out in the 2013 draft, and for some magical reason we knew the skill set that he actually possesses now, he would go in the top five. The Chiefs, Jets, Cardinals, Raiders and maybe even the Eagles would all salivate over Cousins.

I think he's that valuable. I think he's that smart. I think his leadership characteristics are almost identical to RGIII. So when Robert Griffin does go down, it's the same exact kind of guy who is going to be the head-honcho in the huddle. It's not going to be the laid back Jason Campbell. It's not going to be arrogant Donovan McNabb. Kirk Cousins provides stability at the most important position in all of sports. You can't put a price tag on that, especially with a fearless scrambling starter, who for better or for worse, is set in his ways.

Drafting Cousins is going to prove to be one of the smartest things Mike Shanahan has ever done from a personnel standpoint. He's raising these two quarterbacks together. I would be shocked if the Redskins traded Cousins in the next few years. I understand shopping him to gauge his market price, but not trading him.

Honestly, who brings more wins and security to your team: Kirk Cousins or a top-10 cornerback like Morris Claiborne, the guy the Dallas Cowboys drafted last year? Does Claiborne have potential to be a solid player? Yes. Is he easily replaceable? Yes. Cousins is not. The Steelers promising season went to sour milk because of their backup QB situation. And so have 20 teams before them. This is a luxurious position to be in

Redskins fans who suffered through the same crappy quarterbacking for the last 20-years should recognize how valuable it is to have two capable rock-slingers. So for the time being, stop being greedy.

On the future of the pistol offense with the Redskins:

I think the pistol and these kind of crazy formations will continue to be adapted as the years go on, not by just the Redskins, but a large chunk of the NFL -- hint, hint: look at the success in Seattle and San Francisco right now.

Kyle Shanahan wants notoriety. He wants to move football forward. He looks at Bill Walsh with the west coast offense. He looks at his dad, known for turning any running back into a pro bowler. Kyle Shanahan (only 33-years-old)wants to have an identity. And that's why I think this pistol/read/option will not necessarily be the main offense for the Redskins 10 years from now, but as long as Griffin III can run, it will be involved in every game plan. Opposing defenses prep the hardest they do all season for the option offense. During the game the option creates mind games, slowing the reaction time of defenders.

There will be new parts added to this Redskins offense to make it even more explosive. What if the Mike Shanahan drafts a speedy player like Denard Robinson, the quarterback from Michigan? Wouldn't that have potential to be revolutionary? If you select him in the third or fourth round and stick him next to RGIII in the backfield, defensive coordinators won't sleep for months. Just imagine once RGIII is truly surrounded by speedsters like Pierre Garcon. Fans will grow tired of singing Hail to the Redskins seven times a game.

Because guys like RGIII and Johnny Manziel were recruited by a ton of big schools (Texas) as defensive backs, I'll argue many of these powerhouse colleges are going to approach the way they recruit quarterbacks much differently. I think you are going to see many athletic specimens start taking over the quarterbacking duties at the college level who normally would not have.

And with the success of guys like Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick and of course Rob Griffin, NFL teams will be inclined to not only draft these guys higher, but start them immediately.